Nothing comes out Unscathed
by AnimagusFireblade
Summary: Alternate to episode 12 of season 4 Instead of Ava and Sara not being affected by the torment Ava went through, they are both trying to cope with it. Sara is over come with guilt while Ava is trying to shake off the effects of her time with Neron and purgatory. In this alternate writing, Nora Darhk hasn't fought Neron yet. Part 1: Post Neron Trauma
1. Chapter 1-Sara

**Chapter 1 - Sara**

I did it. I rescued my girl. I brought her back from purgatory and now she is whole again.

"Aves, baby wake up." I stare at her face, praying to whoever will listen that I will see those precious blue eyes again. Ava Sharpe, Director of the Time Bureau, the most stubborn and badass woman I know, slowly opens her eyes. She looks dazed, slowly focusing her eyes to the surrounding area and then toward my voice. Once she focuses on my face, her lips form a small tentative smile. Her cheeks struggle to hold it, failing from disuse. The skin on her face has a grayish tone and her lips are discolored. Her hair has some darker tones around her scalp which I can only assume is dirt or dried blood. My heart cracks a little knowing that my fierce and beautiful girlfriend seems like a shell of her former self.

"Hey baby, welcome home. We've all missed you so much." I plaster a smile to my face. I am elated to see those shining blues, but I try not to let it falter when she winces.

"Too loud babe." Her voice comes out hoarse, possibly from screaming. She gives me a timid smile. I nod my head and gently grasp her right hand in both of mine. I'm holding back my tears and emotions that are ready to rejoice from hearing her speak. I just can't believe Ava is really here talking to me.

"We need to go get you checked out by Gideon. Do you need help or want to try walking?" I ask while visually accessing her injuries. In all of the commotion getting her back, I hadn't had time to process what I had seen when I picked her up from that motel room floor.

"I can walk." She proceeded to slide off of the chair, standing up on her feet with me hovering slightly behind her just out of her sight. I'd be damned if I was going to let her injure herself after all that she just went through. Ava made it five steps to the door before her legs gave out. My immediate reflex was to grab her and swing her left arm over my shoulder to prop her up. She grunted, I turned my head and saw tears in her eyes. Her pain squeezed my heart, making my actions turn urgent.

"Ava, I'm gonna pick you up, okay? I need to get you to the medbay to access and heal the injuries in case you have internal injuries." I wait for her to process my words. Silently she nods and within seconds she is lifted into my arms. I rush as quickly as I dare without jostling her too much out of the lab. When we reach the medbay, I lay her lightly on the chair and hook up the cuff. Gideon immediately scans for injuries and starts spouting off Ava's health stats. My hands form fists, resisting the urge to hold her and going to fight the bastard that dared to take her from me.

"Captain, it will take some time to heal all of the wounds. I will start with the more critical areas and go from there. I recommend that Director Sharpe be placed into a coma for the duration—"

"NO!" Ava screamed and shot up from the chair. It was all I could do to push her down without adding more harm to her.

"Ava! AVA! STOP!" She started swinging at me, her eyes leaving this reality and going far away. I blocked her punches with little resistance. Her strength was depleted.

"Ava, come back, come back to me. I'm here, I'm here!" Her eyes gained focus, she relaxed back into the chair.

"Please don't let her drug me, Sara. I can't be forced to that place again." All of the fight drained away.

"Its okay babe. We won't do that, right Gideon?" I put a more authoritative tone into the last part hoping Gideon knew that putting Ava under was not an option.

"It will take longer to heal but yes Captain, it can be done." The AI informed us.

"Sara, I don't want to stay in here. This — this is too much." Ava was on the brink of a panic attack.

"Okay, that's okay. Aves, look at me."She turned her head toward me. "You don't have to stay in here. How 'bout we stay for a little bit and let Gideon do her thing so that your major injuries heal. After a few hours we can go to my room and rest." I watch as she focuses on my words, analyzing the facts I just gave her. She nods.

"Can I get a shower before going to your room?" Even in her state of duress, her puppy dog eyes still win me over.

"Of course, babe. Just lay back and let her make you better." I grab the nearest chair and pull it close to her side. As she relaxes into the chair, I tuck my hand into hers, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand with my thumb. She gives me a weak smile and squeezes my hand. I squeeze back reassuringly. Time stands still as we stay that way, content to finally be together.

"Her internal injuries are no longer critical Captain. You may take Director Sharpe back to your room. I have fabricated some sleep wear for her assuming she would prefer fresh clothing."

"Thank you Gideon. Come on babe, let's get you squeaky clean." I wink at her. She gives me a 10 gigawatt smile that I hoped would form from my comment. This time she gets up and doesn't need my help, but I hold her hand and walk as close as I can without knocking her over. We pick up her clothes on the way to the bathroom. We step inside and walk over and start the shower. Once the temperature is right, I turn and see Ava hasn't moved from her spot in the middle of the room. She looks dazed again, her mind has transported her somewhere other than here.

"Aves, do you want some help?" I coax her back to focus. She frowns and nods. I try to not let the disappointment show that I am missing her voice and smart ass responses. Normally she would've said, "I'm a big enough girl to handle myself, Lance." I walk to her and pull the blanket she has been wrapped in out of her hands and let it drop to the floor. She is left in a tank top and panties that both look to have been white at one point. The abuse and mistreatment is evident in the two articles of clothing. I clench my jaw, showing no emotion and start to pull the edge of the tank top up her body. When I reach her arms, she gradually lifts them to help me. Once that is removed, I pause to make sure she is still okay. She is watching the water, a questioning look is plastered on her face. I kneel to slide her panties off and discard them with the other pieces. I stand back up and reach for her hand. I run my thumb over her knuckles as I feel her tense.

Her eyes are fixed on the water cascading from the shower head. I take this moment to survey her bruises. Her chest and rib cage have various states of bruising, ranging from green, yellow, and purple. Her arms and legs have more sporadic spots, some in the form of lashes and cuts. I try to formulate what could've been small enough to cause the thin lines. The cuts were obviously a knife of some sort, and the lashes could've been a thin belt. Ava decides at that moment to look away from the water and back at my gaze. She catches me staring at her.

"You don't have to stay. I know it's hard to look at." Her voice has a little grit to it, not fully healed from her torment. She looks ashamed. I squeeze her hand again.

"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere." I flash her a grin. Ava doesn't look at me. She walks away, dropping my hand as she heads to the shower. When she walks past me, that's when I see it.

All of the runes on her body are drawn in what looks to be a type of charcoal. Except one. On her back right shoulder. It looks like the charcoal has sunk deeper, searing to her flesh. I choke in a breath, trying to gain control over my reaction. She gets to the door of the shower and slants her head back toward me.

"Could you wait outside? I just need to be alone." She says it like any argument would push her to break.

"Sure thing, just holler if you need me. I'll be right outside." I plaster a smile to my face, faking it to mask the feeling of rejection. I turn on my heel and step outside, not going farther than five feet from the door. I lean on the opposite wall and put my head between my legs.

I try to hold myself together, only for her. I will be a rock for her, my light, my life. I should've known she needed me. I was so selfish and shallow to think that our fight could make her that petty. Even in our earliest of days after meeting, she never ignored me for long after a disagreement no matter how much she hated me. When she wouldn't answer or call me back I should've —

*Thwack

My head snaps up, and I am on my feet in seconds running into the bathroom. I see Ava on the floor of the shower, curled up in a ball sobbing. I don't even hesitate to open the door and climb in behind her. I pick her up off of the floor and cradle her in my lap, making her head lean on my shoulder. Her face falls into my neck, almost like it was pulled there. Her pain and tears pour out, her sobbing gets louder and more frantic. I make soothing sounds and rub her back as I pull her closer. I lay my head on her head, wishing to take her pain away. After a few moments like this, her crying slows down and turns to minor sniffles. I pull away just enough to kiss her forehead, and I lean back to look at her.

"I love you baby. Can I stay and help you?" Ava looks up at me and nods. I hate that we are back to silence. I help her stand and grab the soap. I lather my hands to start wiping away the dirt and ruminants of her torture. The charcoal comes off after a few extra swipes. I try to go lightly over the bruises. I avoid her back, knowing it will be the most painful, wanting her to not suffer that pain yet.

I move onto her hair. I grab the shampoo and lather it into her hair. She has closed her eyes by now, relaxing into my hands as they knead her scalp. When all of the knots and grime are gone, I run my fingers through her hair as the water washes it all away. I quickly put a little conditioner in it like I've watched her do before and rinse that out as well. Now for the worst part.

"Babe, I need to clean this mark off your back. And it looks like it's gonna hurt." I wait for her answer, holding my breath. She doesn't move or make a sound for a long time.

"It's deep. I will probably pass out while you do it." Her voice held no emotion. I bit my lip, thinking of how to make this less painful. Ava surprised me and sat down on the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs and leaning the side of her head on top of them.

"You can clean it. I figured falling from here wouldn't hurt as bad." Between her voice and her current position, I had to clench my jaw and hold back my tears. She looked like a shell of her forming self, vulnerable and tensed for the pain she knew was about to be inflicted.

I kneeled down, gathering the soap in my hands. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, steeling myself for her anguish. As I grazed her wound, her eyes tightened and whimper escaped. I relied on my league training and blocked out emotion to get this done. As I washed away the charcoal, it became more evident that the rune was deeper and more inflamed than any other mark on her body. It looked like it had been dug into her body and burned so the wound wouldn't heal up, leaving a gaping wound. I kept running my fingers over it, confirming that all of the charcoal was gone. I helped Ava move back into the spray of water, carefully avoiding the direct spray on the wound.

"Awake."

"What?" I asked, not sure if I heard her correctly.

"That rune means awake. The carving and burn made it permanent as long as the charcoal wasn't washed away. The others were reapplied when they would fade, but that one got a fresh coat every morning. Thats the only way I knew time was passing. He applied it 14 times. And after every application it would burn for God knows how long, reestablishing it's control on me." My tears finally fell at her declaration.

"That's why I couldn't go into a coma, I couldn't loose that control of reality again." When she finished speaking, Ava looked up to see my reaction. I slowly wrapped her in my arms and held her close, mindful of her bruising. I kissed her temple and whispered to her.

"I will never let someone take that control from you again. You were mine to protect and I failed. I will spend forever trying to make up for it." I feel her pull her head back to look at me.

"You didn't fail. You had no way of knowing. And you were there to bring me back. You went into purgatory for me, knowing that there was a chance both of us wouldn't come back. I will always be grateful for that."

"I feel like there is a but in there." I say lightly, trying to hold in my fear.

"I should have fought harder, fought smarter. If I could've gotten away or sent a message to you or the time bureau then I wouldn't have been in this mess."

"Stop, none of this is your fault. No one could've gotten away from him. You did the only thing you could do. Survive. And you did. That gave me enough time to get my head out of my ass and find you. And I will never stop trying to prove that you are the bravest person I know because you survived when others would've given up." I leaned in to kiss her, just a brief peck. Ava used what little strength she had recovered to hold my head there and make it last a little longer. After a moment I pulled back.

"Slow down there, cutie. You did just escape hell with your life. Let's get you dried off and into clean clothes." I step out of the shower to retrieve towels for each of us and a robe for me. I hold out the towel for her. She steps out of the shower toward me, and I wrap her in it and help her dry off.

I strip off my soaked clothes, throwing them next to Ava's dirt covered ones and dry off. I slip the robe on and look up to see her standing in the mirror, looking over her shoulder to see the bright red mark on her shoulder. I walk into view of the mirror.

"We can ask Gideon to heal it so it goes away." I try to reassure her. She looks at me a nods silently.

"Come on goober, time to get dressed for bed." I flash her a flirty smirk, earning me a glare. The glare is not quite as strong as my spunky director's, but I'll take what I can get. I help her dress and lead her out of the bathroom in the direction of my room.


	2. Chapter 2-Sara

**Chapter 2-Sara**

As the door slides open to my room, I wait for her to go in. She gradually shuffles her feet into the room, glazing in all directions. I follow from a short distance, all of my focus on her. She looks panicked. I reach out my hand to brush her arm reassuringly. Ava gasps and flinches back.

"Hey it's just me. I'm going to grab my clothes and go change. Will you be okay while I'm gone?" I want to give her a moment to breathe and try to wrap her head around all that has taken place today. She glances at me and nods, then turns away to look at the far wall. I sigh and gather my things to get ready for bed. I slip out of the room and go back to the bathroom. I head back to my room when I'm done, wondering what state I will find her in upon my arrival. The door slides open and I see her curled up in bed, back facing me. Creeping across the floor, I put away my things and turn back to leave.

"Please stay. I don't want to be alone." I turn and see she hasn't moved from her position.

"Okay babe, I'll be right here." I crawl into bed next to her, laying as close as possible without any contact. I'm afraid to breathe wrong, fearing it will some how start her downward spiral. As if sensing my thoughts, Ava reached back and pulled my hand over her hip to rest on her stomach. The act of comfort propelled me forward, satisfying my urge to touch her and hold her. I curved my body around her hunched form, pulling her body into mine. We both held our breath and waited. After a moment, she sighed of contentment, making my muscles relax. Her breathing grew quiet, heart rate slowing.

I stayed there, cherishing this moment. The adrenaline of the chaotic day dissipated from my body, leaving behind a euphoric feeling as I succumbed to my exhaustion.

A whimper pulls my consciousness from sleep. Pain laces up my arms. My eyes shoot open just in time to register a knife coming at my head. My league training kicks in. I roll off the bed to the floor and come up in a crouch. My eyes scan the room for the threat but can't see anyone there. I crane my neck to the door way when I am tackled from my front. I struggle with my attacker while making out some of their features. It's a woman, slim and tall very good hand to hand combat skills. As I continue to block and look for her weakness, she slices my upper arm open with a knife.

SHIT, at least it's only a flesh wound I hope. I finally manage to jump back, preparing my own strike. I lift my fist to rear back and just barely stop myself from clocking Ava in the face. That's when I realize the intruder isn't just anyone, it's my girlfriend.

My mind starts to take in her state, registering her lack of focus and brashness. I realize she isn't seeing me. She has the glazed look in her eyes, seeing something that isn't even there. With this new knowledge, I flip on the light and knock the knife out of her hand. This causes a frenzy, making her swings come faster and more sporadic. I continue to block now knowing I can't attack back. Her openings are starting to get wider, and I wait patiently for the right opportunity.

When she least expects it, I duck under her guard and wrap her upper body, arms and all, in a tight bear hug. Ava struggles, fighting off unseen attackers. I pin her to the bed with my body and frame her face with my hands.

"Ava, honey wake up! Wake up, its not real! You are here with me in my room! You are safe!" I pause to see if my words are having effect on her. The glazed expression has dimmed but is still present.

Running out of options, I lunge forward and kiss her. This kiss was not gentle because she continued to fight me. After a few seconds, her muscles stilled. Her hands grabbed at my shirt while her lips moved against mine. I lifted most of my body off of her trying to give her space, but my director had other plans.

She pull my shirt closer and wrapped a hand in my hair, holding my head in place and effectively trapping me. I kiss her for a little longer and then pull back. I see love and desire in her eyes instead of fear, a night and day difference in such a short time. I caress her face.

"It was just a dream, love. We are safe in my room on the Waverider."

"It was just so real. I was fighting for my life against him again." My jaw clenches.

"No fighting, just a bad nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, I thought we agreed no more knives in bed anymore." I raised my eyebrow. We had agreed no more knives after the last nightmare I had that ended with one on her neck. We had been lucky that time.

"We did. But you left and I searched for one in the drawers. I didn't feel safe being in here. With having so little control lately, I thought I wouldn't have control in my sleep. I should have been worried for a different reason." She wouldn't look at my face during her confession. I pull her into my embrace and cradle her head to my neck.

"You are safe though. John and Nora have placed protection spells all over the ship." I feel her nod into my neck. After a few minutes, I stand back and look at her face.

"Now, let's try to get some Z's so we won't be dragging tomorrow. Can't be a Legend without legendary sleep, am I right?" I wink at her earning me a giggle. My heart swells at the sound. I kiss her head and guide her back to bed. II sit up to clean and bandage my cut, returning to her side when I'm done. She curls into my arms, head on my chest and immediately her breathing simmers down to transform into light snores.

I gaze at her. My armor finally has too many chinks in it to hold back my emotions. My tears fall and won't let up. I stay there quietly hoping they will stop soon. When the water works are going strong after ten minutes, I extricate myself from her vice grip and place blankets over her sleeping form. Once I see she is settled, I slip out of the room.

Surprisingly, the team has been helpful in staying scarce during this hard event. The ship's halls are strangely quiet. The slight sounds of my footsteps echo as I head to the other side of the vessel. I am in search of the one, well really two people who can help put Ava at ease during her transition home. I hear whispering that continues to escalate the closer I get to the lab. Inside I see John Constantine and Nora Darhk whisper shouting about something, throwing their hands dramatically as if it will bring their points to light.

John throws his hands up and spins around sulking a few feet away. He stabs his fingers into his disheveled hair, pulling on the blonde locks. I can't see his face from here because his signature trench coat's collar is popped. He swings his red tie over his shoulder with a huff and leans forward. I know he is trying to catch a smoke, who wouldn't with all the stress around here. He turns back around slowly, sucking in a puff. Just as he starts to pull the cig from his lips, I flick it away to the floor. He looks at me with shock, obviously not hearing my footsteps. I was losing control of my emotions and my training was the only thing keeping me from the edge.

"Oi, Lance! What's the big idea sneaking up on me like that?" I finally looked up, focusing on his face. He looked worn out like truly bogged down. His 5 o'clock shadow was starting to get length and the circles under his eyes were more defined.

"Had to get rid of that before Gideon did. Wouldn't want an extinguisher knocking you out when I need answers." He looked intrigued.

"What did you need, lass?"

"First, what are you two arguing about?" I turn to lock my gaze on Nora. She closes her lips tight and tilts her bright blue eyes away from mine. I notice she looks extremely pale against her dark hair. What have these two been up to? Their combined tired looks put me on edge.

"Forget about that, love. What did you come for?" John had an irritated tone. I looked back over at him. I explain the night terror episode that had just happened with Ava, shelving my inquiry for another day.

"I don't think she will be able to sleep on her own. I need your help. She just needs some sleep to help her get through some of the trauma. Can you help with that?" I plead with him. I hate sounding desperate, but John doesn't comment on it.

"Sure, when I get done here I'll pop over and whip up a sleep aid charm that will keep her calm and cease the nightmares for tonight."

"Thank you, John." I pause. "I think that mark is keeping her from sleeping." That gets both of their attention.

"What do you mean a mark?" Nora asks.

"Did you two not notice the mark on the back of her shoulder? Where she was cut and burned? She said it meant 'Awake'. He carved it into her skin. It was to maintain her consciousness during her physical moments of pain. So that when things got so hard, her mind couldn't recover from it!" At this point I am screaming, my mind listening to my words and reliving my fear from when I found out what had happened to her. Nora places a soothing hand on my back, but I step away feeling undeserving of her comfort.

"She might have lingering effects from it. That is something that will have to fade in time. The demon's magic was too powerful for a non magic wielding mortal to combat. I can make her a salve to put on it to help nullify the effects some." I nodded and thanked Nora for her offer.

"I'm going to have Gideon heal it tomorrow. That will hopefully-"

"Don't." I stopped talking and looked at Nora in surprise.

"Why not? It'll make the effects go away."

"No it won't. Trust me, it will only cause her pain if you try to heal that specific area." I could see a ghost of pain in her eyes. As quickly as it was there, she blinked it away.

"How would you know that it would cause her pain?" I didn't believe her statement. Ava would be healed and whole after seeing Gideon again. Seeing my determination, Nora grabbed my arm and told John to follow. He had a grim look on his face like he knew the secret that was about to be shared. We walked in silence. When I was about to ask where we were going, Nora guided us to the medbay. She goes over to the chair and sits in it, placing the cuff on her wrist.

"Gideon, please heal the mark on my ribs for 5 seconds and then stop." Nora gets a steeled look on her face. She pulls her shirt up exposing her skin all the way up to the edge of her bra. A jagged symbol appears on her upper right side.

"Are you sure Ms. Darhk?" Gideon hesitates.

"Yes, just do it Gideon now." The light beam that Gideon uses to heal us turns on and gathers over Nora's mark. Smoke and heat start to form around the mark making the air in the room heat up. Nora has clamped her lip in between her teeth. Tears are streaming down her face. She can't hold her scream back any longer. Just as she begins, the beam turns off and its over.

Nora is panting in air, gasping for the breaths that were taken by the pain. The whole event seemed like it took hours. John looks at me with pitty knowing the thoughts that are going through my mind.

"But how? Gideon has been healing her injuries!" My mind can't comprehend what I just witnessed.

"Yes, her non magical afflictions can be healed. But when the healing is focused on something caused by or used for dark magic, the process can be tricky. Her mark is similar to mine. The marks were made with a ceremonial blade that is meant to prepare the barer to allow dark magic flow into them. Since Ava didn't willingly accept it, Neron burned the mark, giving it a catalyst to merge with. That is partly why her effects haven't been severed. If he hadn't burned it, the lack of a binding agent would have already nulled the effects. In this case, the charcoal he used to paint the runes on her. Without the physical form and magics, they have no power left."

"So she is stuck baring that mark for the rest of her life." My voice sounds void, I see Ava's pain in my eyes.

"Unfortunately, yes. It will fade and grow smaller with time, but it will always be there." I finally look up to meet Nora's eyes. She has sympathy in them, not like John's. Her eyes hold an understanding of what Ava will soon face. Nora takes my hand and squeezes.

"She needs you. Things will get harder before they get better." I nod at her words. Then I stop and step toward the door. Just as I am about to leave, I turn to see their confused looks.

"Keep her comfortable and safe. I'll be back." I dash out the door and head to the jump ship. I can hear John chase after me for a few steps, telling me to wait. I ignore him and continue forward.

"Gideon, find a time in Star City that I can go and not effect the timeline." The jump ship door closes locking me in and everyone else who might try to stop me out.

"Yes captain. Who are you planning to find there?"

"Oliver Queen."

"Charting a course to 2018 Star City."


	3. Chapter 3-Sara

**Chapter 3- Sara**

It's still so weird entering the Arrow team's new hangout. When I step off the elevator, I immediately glance right, seeing my sister's canary outfit. For a moment I forget she isn't here anymore and that magnifies my pain. I look straight ahead and see Oliver facing the monitors on the circular platform.

"Hey stranger, you miss me?" I plaster the best my girlfriend hasn't been to hell and I'm blaming myself smile I have. Oliver turns around and breaks out into a huge grin.

"Hey Sare-Bear." He heads over to me and wraps me in a brief hug. Makes me grin wider because Oliver Queen doesn't do hugs, much. He steps back and gives me a once over.

"You've seen better days, Lance." His smile disappears into a grim line.

"Back at you, Ollie. You look like someone broke your favorite bow." That earns me a small grin.

"Which time?" I just laugh, and we walk over to the suit display cases. We both take a moment to look at Laurel's old suit. I can feel Oliver's gaze flickering between me and the suit.

"I miss her everyday." He says with a sad smile.

"I always expect to see her when I walk in this place even though I know she's gone." I sigh and turn away from the dark reminder. He gives me some more time before speaking.

"Okay, we both know you aren't here to chat about your sister. What's going on?" He walks up to lay a hand on my shoulder, urging me to look him in the eye. But I can't do that. Instead, I look over his shoulder.

"Wanna train? I could use the distraction right now." Understanding that feeling, he nods and walks over to the training area. This part has equipment of all types, including the salmon run that always had Felicity drooling over Oliver. I chuckle and receive a questioning look from him. I just shake my head and head off to change.

When I get back, I see he has done the same. We meet up in the middle of the room with open mats around. As soon as my feet hit the first mat, Oliver throws two medium sized sticks at me. I easily catch them and get lower in my fighting stance. I let out a slow breath and hold onto my league training. This is what I need so desperately until I can get my head on straight.

Oliver mirrors my movements and gets ready to begin. We both stare for what seems like eternity, each waiting for the other to make the first move. His grip tightens on the left stick, and I take that as my moment to strike. He effectively blocks the first blow and the series of them after that. I lead the fight and push us around the room as if we were in a dance. He knows I need this, so at first he is content to let me. As I get into a rhythm, my movements become faster, fueled by my anger and fear. Oliver uses this moment to start fighting back, adding motions to block and dodge. The heated actions make me falter occasionally, earning me a smack from his weapons. I see his brow clench in frustration. He doesn't understand why I am so emotional to the point where my abilities are slipping. I steel my jaw and go in harder, adding my feet to swipe him off balance. He is caught off guard not expecting that move. His back slams into the ground. My emotions have shut down. I am Ta-er al-Sahfer, league of assassin member, not Sara Lance, scared and terrified girlfriend.

Oliver seems to note the change and flip up back on his feet. His posture changes from one of a skilled warrior to one of a quick determined fighter. He came back at me with sticks blazing. When he feigned high, I went to parry the blow. To my surprise, the attack never came. I glanced at him in time to see his kick heading toward my upper torso. I twisted sideways trying to avoid his attack. I didn't get out of the way faster enough and got slammed in the ribs. I rolled a few feet away but was back on my feet within seconds. I had lost one pole in the commotion, and it was out of reach. I sprinted back to Oliver, swinging my stick every which way with a new found strength. Every hit was blocked. In that moment, I made a decision I knew I would regret later.

I used the stick to strike down on Olivers arm. Using that moment as a distraction, I didn't finish the movement. Instead, I kicked my foot up to hit his right fore arm, knocking the stick out of his grasp. He surprise was quickly concealed. In desperation, he lunged at me with the stick. I used his momentum to propel him past me and wrap his head in a choke hold. I waited for the familiar tap. After a few seconds, it didn't come. I look down to see him grinning.

OH SHIT! He used that opportunity to wrap his arms behind me and pull me over his body, slamming me into the mats. I rolled over and got back up. Neither of us had our sticks anymore and changed to hand to hand combat. Sweat rolled down my back and down my forehead into my eyes. My body was straining to keep this pace up against an evenly match opponent. I wiped the sweat away from my face during his brief pause. Rookie mistake. His fist slammed into my face hard enough to effectively put me on my ass. Oliver's eyes got wide.

"Sara, I'm sorry. I thought you were still keeping-" I cut Oliver off as I swiped his unsuspecting feet, landing him on his ass next to me. I climb on top of him and pin him down.

"Okay Ollie, time to yield." I grinned. He glared up at me for a few seconds and then tapped my arm. I roll off of him so that he can sit up.

"Dirty match Lance." He sounded gruff. Sore loser. I couldn't contain my laugh. Damn this made me feel good just to shut my mind off.

"What's a girl got to do to get a drink around here?" I look at him with raised eyebrows. He grins and shakes his head. He walks back to the main area, and I follow him. Oliver pulls out two glasses and a container full of dark liquor, pouring some in each glass. Handing one to me he nods and says Cheers. I say it back and knock back the glass, feeling the alcohol slide down my throat while leaving a slight burn.

He pours us each another glass and before long the container is empty. Both of us aren't nearly drunk enough to physical be effected much. The night is still young. He asks if I want to test the tennis ball launcher. I'm down for it. Soon we are laughing and daring each other to try the craziest trick shots. We managed to find John Diggle's secret stash and are doing shots every time we miss. In the beginning, that isn't often. But as the night wears on, those misses become more frequent, at least for me. Oliver could still hit a target with poison in his veins, let alone a little alcohol. I'm so wasted at this point that I have gotten a fit of giggles. I'm sitting on a training block observing his shots when I hear a feminine voice.

"If I knew there was an open bar and show with a special guest, I might have dropped by sooner." I turned to see Felicity standing there watching her husband hit targets. I jump up on wobbly legs and barrel into her with a hug. She struggles to hold us both up right, so I lean back to take back some of the weight. Oliver sets his bow down and walks over to kiss his wife. They keep it pretty tame for mine and Ava's standards.

Ava. Damn it.

I start to feel like shit again, remembering why I came here, wondering how my girlfriend is coping. Felicity sees my face fall.

"I was contacted by Ray and the rest of the crew on the Waverider. Apparently you left in a rush, and they seem to be flipping out." I winced at her words.

"You told them I was here?"

"NO! No no no, otherwise you would see some really made teammates here right now. I simply told them I'd keep an eye out in case you popped up. They know you came to 2018 but not where and to see whom. They are more likely to figure out that Barry's daughter is here before they find you." Both Oliver and I look at each other in confusion.

"Barry's what?!" We say in unison. Felicity looks like prey caught in some headlights.

"Oh, crap-um yeah she is here but know one is supposed to know that because it can do wacky stuff to the timeline- you know how it is. Just, yeah not good." She fumbles over her words as she tries to explain. I hold up my hand.

"Yes I get it. As long as they are aware of the consequences, I don't have a problem with it." I pinch my brow with my fingers. I do not need another problem to worry about right now.

"Oliver are you ready for another round?" He looks at me questionably. After a few seconds, he shrugs and nods, moving back to the mats. Felicity takes my spot on the training block that I sat on earlier, getting comfortable to watch. We spar for a few hours. I take in more hits than I make. I know I'll be bruised up by the time I make it to the Jump Ship.

"Again." I pant.

"No more Sara, we are done. Go home and see Ava." He grabs a towel and starts to wipe off sweat.

"I'm not done yet Ollie." I go to surprise attack him. He instinctively turns and uses my momentum to slam me into the floor.

"ENOUGH!" He shouts in my face. "Go home. NOW. Stop using me to fulfill your desire to punish yourself. I indulged this game for far too long tonight. Now I am going home with my wife and you will turn your ass to your ship. Stop acting like you failed her. Suck up your own feelings and be there for her. Because she was there, not you." He starts to walk away.

"Don't you think I don't know that? That I am supposed to be there for her right now. She is mine. Mine to love. Mine to protect. My whole life. And I didn't even notice that she was missing for days, no not even. It was two weeks! TWO WEEKS OLLIE! WHAT WOULD YOU FEEL LIKE IF IT HAD BEEN YOUR GIRL? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M DROWNING, GASPING FOR AIR!" My voice had reached maximum volume. I was done holding back. I started swinging at him, trying to find and weak point. He struggled with me, eventually clasping my hands together and holding me against him as I broke. It felt like an eternity until my sobs slowed down. I felt Felicity come over and rub my back. She stayed silent as Oliver spoke.

"I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but you have to go back and stand firm. You can be her rock, her support from here. You have to hold her hand and walk through these new found challenges with her. She can't do that alone, not when she could get through it faster with you by her side. So pull it together and don't fail her now." I look up to meet his gaze, and I'm met with deep understanding as it flicks over to his wife and back. I flash him a small smile and nod. I will do my best to be a rock for Ava. She will get through this even if I have to go to hell and back again. I hug and thank them both and head for the jump ship.

"Gideon, send me home. I have someone I need to help dream again."

"Yes, Captain. Setting course for the Waverider. I believe someone is awake and waiting for you."


	4. Chapter 4-Ava

**Chapter 4- Ava**

I instinctively reach across the bed, searching for her body. My hands find nothing but the cold sheets. The fear and panic jolt through me. My eyes snap open and scan the dim room. I reach for the knife in the bedside draw, drawing it up to get ready to fly at the intruder sitting on the far wall. I keep my eyes on them while feeling with my hand for the lamp switch. When the light flicks on, I see Nora curled up in the chair, snoring softly. I release the breath I was holding in and try to shake off the drowsiness feeling. I notice that my body feels like it has a humming vibration.

I get up and find Sara's robe to wear and head to the bathroom. When I reach the sink, I splash some water on my face. It relieves some of the feeling. Since the feeling is all over and not just on my face, I decide to rinse off in the shower. I make it brief and avoid looking in the mirror when I dry off. I put my clothes and Sara's robe back on and go search for her around the ship. I searched for her in the training room, galley, and library. Now I head to her office.

As I step inside, the room looks undisturbed. I sign and walk over to her chair. I sit down and grin thinking about all the times we have been in here together and have ended up making out in this chair. My moment of reminiscing is interrupted by footsteps. I look up and see Nora. She gives me a sheepish grin.

"I woke up and you were gone." She seems out of breath like she was running to find me. I form a small smile making her more at ease.

"You know it's not polite to stalk someone" She gets flustered at my comment.

"Sara wanted us to make it easier for you to sleep. In order to maintain the link for that, I had to be in the same room. But then I fell asleep, so the connection broke." Nora shrugged.

"Sara asked you to do this and then went…." I waited for her to fill in the blanks.

"We don't know. She said she would be back. Other members of the team found out she left and were worried with the state she was in. They have reached out to their contacts in Star City and Central City." I frown at this revelation. Why would Sara leave me right now? I'm normally not so clingy, but the last two weeks have trampled my self control. Seeing my internal struggle, Nora tries to sooth me.

"She will be back. You know her better than anyone. She probably just needing some time with all of the information."

"That's what I'm worried about." I frown. "Gideon, where is Sara?"

"Captain Lance is away from the ship at the moment." Ugh. The AI is protecting her. Great.

"No Gideon, where is she? Now." I feel my emotions trying to break through. They are winning over my usual grip of logic.

"I'm not allowed to say, Director Sharpe. But she should be returning shortly. And I might recommend a pack of ice and a nightcap." Her words shock me. Nora avoids looking at me directly.

"Okay well, you are good it looks like. Sara is on her way back, so I'm gonna go. Have a good night." She dashes away before I can form a thought. I push myself out of the chair and go get an ice packet. I return to the office and flop back into the chair harder than intended. My body aches a little from the impact. I get situated and wait for Sara.

Fingers slide across my cheek and slip behind my ear. I suck in a startled breath, blinking awake to see my girlfriend gazing down at me, smirking with a busted lip and scrapes.

"Hey, it's just me." Leaning back I take in her form. She looks like she went up against a team of assassins and barely made it out with her life. I sit up and take her face in my hands to get a better look. Sara flinches when my fingers touch the darker areas that will eventually form bruises. I stay silent, currently not trusting my voice. Unable to stand the distance any longer, she picks me up quickly and sits in the chair with me cradled in her lap.

My face automatically seeks out her neck, placing quick pecks and inhaling her scent. It helps calm some of the fear inside of me. I let my eyes shut, absorbing the connection. After a moment, I sit up and reach for her desk. I fumble around until I find what I'm looking for. I reveal an ice pack and place it on her lip and cheek. She winces but after a moment she relaxes back into the chair. We stay that way in silence, both waiting for the other to speak.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up again." I glance up at her. She looks ashamed. I tilt her face to meet my gaze.

"Its okay. Just talk to me. Why did you leave? I was worried when Gideon wouldn't give me your location." I continued to stare at her awaiting her reply. Her gaze turned into one of love and vulnerability.

"I needed to be reminded that we will get through this. We will survive this together. And to remember to not shoulder everything alone." She gets a faraway look in her eyes like she is remembering something.

"I'm glad you realized all of this. But would you mind informing me why my girlfriend looks like she went 12 rounds and barely managed to come out with all of her teeth?"

"Well I did lose these two right here. I'll have to get Gideon to make me—OW!" I poked her in the side for not answering my question.

Apparently her injuries are more extensive than meets the eye. I frown and stand up pulling her with me. I lead us back to her room and push her to sit on the bed. I grab the first aid kit that she had used hundreds of times before from her closet. I set it down on the bed next to her and start preparing the materials. Her eyes stay on my face the whole time. I finally turn to her when it is ready.

"Arms up." I grab the hem of her shirt and pull it up and over her head. She grimaces in pain but doesn't make a sound. My heart throbs with her pain wanting to take it all away. I start cleaning the cuts around her face and work my way down. Once all of the cuts on her face torso are taken care of, I pull her up to stand while I pull down her workout pants. Just as I figured, her legs are bruise all the way down with cuts around her feet and shins. I clean these and grab a rag and wet it with a water bottle. Sara sighs when I run the damp cloth over her skin. I use this moment of relaxation to pry information out of her.

"So I just mentally went through hell and suddenly you have the urge to go there yourself?" I continue to wipe the patches of dried blood from her body. She glances up at me after what seems like an eternity.

"I didn't protect you. I didn't even think to come check on you. My petty self thought you were ignoring me and hiding out from the world."

"Okay, so essentially you were taking your emotions and bottling them up while blaming yourself for a situation you had no possible control over." I paused until she nodded. "Babe, you had know way of knowing what was happening to me. We had a fight and then you got pulled from one mission to the next. I had Gideon update me on the last two weeks. She gave me quite a bit of info, especially some about a special sex dream inducing love spell?" I smirk at her while she turns red.

Right before I fell asleep waiting on Sara, I asked Gideon to tell me what life had been like for my girlfriend while I was gone. I might have pressed Gideon for a little too much detail, but I was reassured that Sara was safe and sound during my absence.

"Gideon shouldn't have told you about that." By now, my girlfriend was bright red, a shade I didn't know she could turn. My face broke out into a huge grin.

"She did, and we will definitely be talking about that later. But I need you to know that you are not being blamed for what happened. Neron had good timing. And you saved me and continue to do so. I wouldn't be able to sit here right now if you hadn't pulled me back from the edge every moment I started to go back to those memories." I lifted her chin to stare into her eyes.

"I love you. Don't hide from me. Talk to me, my love." She met my gaze and blinks back tears.

"I love you too. The past 24 hours have killed me. First thinking you were dead, then chasing you in purgatory, and coming back to see you broken and scared. I handled it with my assassin training, but eventually the emotions became too much. I have no words for the amount of pain and sorrow I feel in my soul from imagining and watching you suffer. I just needed to get it out, and the only way I know how to do that is physical exertion." I quirked my eyebrow.

"Babe, if you wanted to be exhausted, all you needed to do was ask for some help." I winked at her. She made a choked sound with eyes widening.

"Someone is definitely feeling better." I smile at her comment.

"I heard you told someone to help me sleep. I think it made some of the side effects were off, including the extreme range of paranoia." I grin. She wraps her arms around my waist, pulling me in between her legs. Her piercing blue eyes looked up at me, studying my face. I gaze back until I start to squirm.

She smirks and wraps her hands around my neck, dragging my head down to meet her lips. Sara kisses me slowly at first, almost hesitantly. My fingers find her hair and lightly scratch her scalp. She jerks me forward, catching me off balance. I try to prevent myself from falling on her, but Sara twists us around to where I end up landing on the bed with her straddling my hips. Both of us are fighting for control over the kiss. When we are almost out of breath, she leans back to look at my face. Pools of desire swirl in her eyes.

God, my girlfriend is making my body burn.

I surprise her by pushing her to the opposite side of the bed, using the shock to get on top of her. My kisses start below her ear in the spot that will have her gasping. Sure enough I hear her gasp in a breath and moan my name. I run the kisses down her jawline. My fingers find the hem of her shirt and inch it up her stomach. I match my progress with little bites on her neck. Her fingers wrap around my hair, keeping my mouth close to her skin. When her shirt has made it past her bra, I sit up and yank it off her body with some help. I quickly unclasp her bra and kiss down from her neck to a stiff pink peak.

I circle the nipple slowly, drawing out her anticipation. When she begs me to stop teasing, I take the peak in my mouth and swipe my tongue back and forth. I use my fingers to match the pace on the other one. As soon as the peak in my mouth has been successfully teased, I switch my mouth to the other side which was in need of the same attention. Sara has one hand in my hair pulling me close, and the other hand clenching the sheets. Her breathing is ragged when I release the nipple to kiss down her abs, being mindful of her battered state. I reach for her pants and slide them off her body along with the lacy panties that covered her.

The path I follow with my lips takes more time than Sara would like. Her frustration is growing with every breath, and it makes me grin. She props up on her arms to watch me. I keep my eyes locked on hers as I run my tongue along the outside of her folds. Her eyes roll back, and she sinks back into the mattress. My tongue dives deeper, knowing exactly which places to go. I swipe her clit, causing her body to jump off the bed. Her sensitivity is skyrocketing. I draw lazy circles with my tongue around her clit, dragging out her turmoil. She starts to whine, begging for me to hurry up. I comply and shove two fingers into her, curling them into the rigid wall as I suck on her clit.

Sara looses all control, and I continue to slowly circle around her clit till her orgasm subsides. Her breathing comes out in pants. She looks dazed but beautiful all the same. I crawl up next to her and kiss her lips. She immediately responds, matching my kisses.

Suddenly, I am flipped on my back with Sara running her fingers under my shirt. She makes quick work of my clothes, racing to get me just as naked as she is. Her hands pause, making me focus on her face. I can see her eyes roaming across my body, taking in the mild bruises and scrapes. With her attention drawn to my injuries, I begin to squirm. This movement pulls Sara out of her thoughts, her eyes trailing back to my eyes. The next thing I know, my ear is captured in her lips, teeth lightly grazing and pulling on it. I moan and claw at her back, leaving little crescent marks. Her lips move to my nipple, giving me revenge for my teasing. My back arches causing me to throw my head back.

After teasing her for so long, I am so turned on that I fear I won't last much longer. She switches to the other nipple repeating her slow torture, ending it with a resonating pop. My eyes open and watch her move downward. She slides a finger inside of me, waiting for me to beg for more. I comply with a quiet please. She quickly adds another finger while using her thumb to collect some of the wetness. Her thumb starts thrumming against my clit. The sudden contact sends jolts through me. I clench my jaw to hold out a little longer. Sara smirks and stills her thumb. I glance at her to try to catch her thoughts. When we make eye contact, she swipes her thumb quickly across my clit. My body can't hold back any longer. I moan when my eyes roll back due to the earth shattering orgasm. As I come down from my high, Sara makes so movements to drag it out. When my breathing starts to recede back to normal, she crawls up next to me and curls into my side, kissing my neck. I smile as I pull her in closer.

"I love you." I murmur with drowsiness. Sara kisses my lips.

"I love you more." I give her a lazy smile.

"In your dreams maybe."

"How 'bout thru all of time?" I peak at her to see her winking at me.

"You are such a dork, Captain Lance." I see her grin spreading.

"Your dork, Director Sharpe." With that, we both fell asleep, holding each other close.


	5. Chapter 5-Ava

**Chapter 5- Ava**

I feel a heavy weight on my body. The feeling of fear makes me clench up. I can't control my breathing. I open my eyes up to see hair in my face. I reach up to move it with my left hand and realize that it is pinned down. With panic tumbling through me, I open my eyes and move the hair with my right hand instead. I look down and see Sara half on top of me, arm and leg swung over my body.

Sighing, I try to calm down my racing heart. The sight of her sleeping peacefully despite my flailing makes my heart squeeze, not wanting to ruin this moment. I sit and gaze at my girlfriend. Her face and body are relaxed in sleep. It is nice to see her brows aren't scrunched together. I move my free hand to run my fingers through her hair. She makes a muffled groan and clings tighter to me. I chuckle at her attempt to stay asleep. After a few minutes, she finally tilts her head up, deep blue eyes meeting mine.

"Morning sweetheart." I can't help but grin at her disheveled state. She glares at me and buries her face in my side. Unable to resist, I use her vulnerable state to start tickling her sides, trying to distract myself from the break down that almost occurred. Sara squeals and bucks. I dodge her flinging limbs and manage to straddle her waist, continuing my onslaught of tickling. Her laughter grew while her pleads to stop got weaker. When she struggled to breathe, I relented my attacks.

"Low blow, Sharpe." She gasps for breath. I smile and lean into kiss her, and she kisses me back hard. We stay like that for a moment. I pull back and look at her.

"We need to get up." Sara makes a whining noise at my comment. Neither of us got enough sleep.

"Why?" She does not look amused.

"Because I need to start back into a routine. It will help both of us deal with the last two weeks and help calm my mind. I need structure back." I plead with her. Seeing how much it means to me, Sara nods.

"Alright, Ava."

We get up and prepare for the day. The training room is our first stop. Sara wants me to take it easy, so we stick to equipment today instead of combat training. When I get done with another rep, I glance up to see Sara looking at me with a smirk on her face. I quirk my eyebrow up questioningly.

"Come here, babe. I want to show you something." I slowly rise and go to where she is standing. She grabs my waist and positions me near the salmon run bars.

"I'm gonna do this to show you how to do it, and then I will help you try it." She is grinning ear to ear. I had never seen anyone use this piece of equipment, so I shrugged and nodded. I later realized I didn't know how sexy someone could look on a piece of equipment.

Sara launched off the ground to grasp the bar and started to jump the bar to the next rung. When I blinked, she had moved up two more rungs. She continued to the top rung and then jumped down with the bar in her hands. After replacing the bar, she waved me over. I bit my lip knowing there was no way I could do this like she could. Her hands were placed on my waist as she lifted me up.

"Now do a chin up with a flourish." She helped hold me up for the first rung attempt. I missed, and she slowed down my fall.

"Again." I was determined to try to impress my girlfriend. Her eyebrows shot up in shock, but she got back into position. This time I managed to land on the first rung and go for the second one without help. When I made it to the third one, I looked down to grin at Sara. That was when I realized she was staring at me, hunger coursing through her eyes. The look made me falter, and I fell toward the ground. I landed in a pair of arms that held me close.

"Damn, now I know how Felicity felt watching Oliver. That thing should come with a warning label." She quipped.

"It would say something like watch at your own risk." I comment.

"May cause unexpected arousal by hot badass directors." She winked, and I threw my head back laughing. Her arms released me slowly, letting me slide down her body. The training room had grown even hotter.

"Well Aves, you have managed to get flithy, and I have to escort you to the shower to clean you up." I giggle at her comment when she proceeds to kiss my neck. She pulls me in for a searing kiss, but I retreat quickly and back toward the door.

"I hope the ex-assassin isn't going to keep me waiting." I smirk at her. She stalks me with a gleam in her eye. I only make it a few paces down the hall before the catches me and whisks me away to the hot steamy shower.

We leave the bathroom after our shower wrapped in robes with new love marks and goofy grins. After dressing quickly in her room, we head to the galley for breakfast. Sara asks Gideon for her oatmeal and my favorite, French toast. I thank her as we both sit down to eat with our food and hot cups of coffee. In the middle of our quiet meal, we hear fast footsteps running down the hall. John skids to a stop when he sees us sitting in the room.

"Call a meeting, we have a problem." John's tone is unnerving. Sara and I glance at one another.

"What's wrong John?" She is staring at him puzzled.

"It's Nora. She won't wake up."

Sara calls a meeting on the brig. Everyone is gathered around and wondering why we were summoned so early. She informs them that John is going to fill them in on what happened with Nora. John explains that the pair had captured Neron at the Bureau and was working on a way to get rid of him. Everything was going to plan until Ray jumped in the way thinking Neron was possessing Nora. She fought back with a spell that rebounded, hitting her in the process. Neron was gone, but Nora was left unconscious. John said he needed to go get some supplies to wake her and left. Sara dismissed the rest of the team. I walk up to her and hug her close.

"Hey, it'll be okay." She nods but doesn't meet my eye. I turn her head to face me.

"Look at me. Lean on me Lance. No more hiding for either of us." Her face lights up a little.

"No more hiding. I love you, Aves." She gives me a small grin.

"I love you too." We stand there holding each other, wondering how this will all turn out okay.


End file.
